Vibration resistant connector

ABSTRACT

A vibration resistant connector is disclosed. The connector employs a friction member to create a resistance between a coupling nut of the connector and a connector body of the connector that is disposed in a cavity formed by the coupling nut. In some embodiments, the friction member is in the form of an O-ring that encircles a portion of the connector body and that is compressed by the coupling nut.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is related to the field of vibration resistantconnectors.

BACKGROUND

In a vibratory environment, such as an aircraft, train, truck or othermoving vehicle, a lock wire is commonly used to secure a coupling nut ofa connector and, thereby, keep the connector in a mated state. Lockwires are placed through small holes drilled into the coupling nut ofthe connector then secured to a structure (e.g., an airframe). Attachinglock wires to the coupling nut and then to the airframe is difficult,time consuming, and contributes scrap material that may migrate intocritical areas of the vehicle. Accordingly, the use of lock wires shouldbe avoided whenever possible.

SUMMARY

This disclosure provides a vibration resistant connector that can beused in vibratory environments without the need of lock wires forkeeping the connector in a connected state during use.

The above and other aspects and embodiments are described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vibration resistant connectoraccording to some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a vibration resistant connectoraccording to another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a view of a vibration resistant connector 100 according tosome embodiments. In the embodiment shown, connector 100 includes aconnector body 110 defining a cavity for housing a contact 102 (e.g., amale or female electrical conductor, an optical fiber, etc.). As shown,the contact 102 may be disposed within an insulator 103 that is housedby the connector body 110. As further shown, connector 100 includes acoupling nut 120 for securing the connector 100 to a correspondingmating connector.

Coupling nut 120 has a first end portion 121 having a hollow cylindricalconfiguration. The first end portion 121 of coupling nut 120 is disposedaround a first end portion 111 of connector body 110 to permit rotationof the coupling nut 120 relative to the connector body 110. That is, thefirst end portion 111 is disposed in a cavity formed by the end portion121 of coupling nut 120. Coupling nut 120 has a second end portion 122also having a hollow cylindrical configuration and further having athreaded inner wall 123 to permit the coupling nut 120 to be securelycoupled with an externally threaded mating connector via rotation of thecoupling nut. The coupling nut thread 123 can be standard 60 degreethread geometry. In high reliability applications, Stanley's SPIRALOCK®can be used.

Advantageously, a friction member 130 is disposed between the first endportion 121 of coupling nut 120 and the first end portion 111 ofconnector body 110. In some embodiments, the friction member 130 isresilient and is held in compression between the first end portion 121of coupling nut 120 and the first end portion 111 of connector body 110.

The friction member 130 has a coefficient of friction effective toreduce the possibility of the coupling nut 120 rotating in a looseningdirection due to vibration when the coupling nut is coupled with anexternally threaded mating connector while permitting the coupling nut120 to be rotated by hand. In some embodiments, the friction memberexerts prevailing torque creating resistance between the connector body110 and the coupling nut 120, thereby inhibiting rotation of thecoupling nut 120 due to vibrations. The friction member may create acontinuous prevailing torque between 0.5 and 1 in-lbs.

In some embodiments, the friction member 130 includes or consists of aring-shaped member (e.g., an O-ring). The O-ring may be a rubber O-ring.In such embodiments, an annular groove 140 may be formed in at least oneof an outer surface of the first end 11 of the connector body 110 and aninner surface of the first end 121 of the coupling nut 120, and thering-shaped resilient friction member 130 is disposed within the annulargroove. In some embodiments, the resilient friction member 130 isconfigured to apply a frictional force creating a prevailing torquebetween about 0.5 and 1.0 inch-lbs.

To address ingress of moisture into the connector 100, in someembodiments, connector 100 further includes a ferrule 180 having ahollow cylindrical configuration and having a first end portion 181,which is disposed around a second end portion 112 of the connector body110, and a second end portion 182. Ferrule 180 may have a hex crimp zone183 between end portions 181 and 182. An O-ring 170 is disposed in anannular groove 142 formed in an outer surface of the second end portion112 of connector body 110. The first end portion 181 of the ferrule 180covers and compresses the O-ring. Another O-ring 190 is disposed in anannular groove formed in an inner surface of end portion 182. The crimpzone 183 of ferrule being crimpable between the O-rings 170 and 190 tocause the O-rings 170 and 190 to create a seal between a jacket of acable (not shown) inserted into the ferrule and connector body.

FIG. 2 illustrates a right angle connector 200 according anotherembodiment. Connector 200 is similar to connector 100 in that connector200 includes coupling nut 120, a connector housing 210 having a firstend portion 211 disposed in the cavity formed by end portion 121 ofcoupling nut 120, and friction member 130 between end portion 121 ofcoupling nut 120 and end portion 211 of connector body 210. As with theembodiment shown in FIG. 1, friction member may be in the form of anO-ring and disposed in an annular groove formed in an outer surface ofend portion 211 of connector body 210 such that the O-ring is compressedradially by the coupling nut 120.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure shouldnot be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A connector comprising: a connector bodydefining a cavity for housing a contact; a coupling nut comprising afirst end portion of hollow cylindrical configuration defining a cavityin which a first end portion of said connector body is disposed, whereinthe coupling nut is able to rotate relative to said connector body, saidcoupling nut further including a second end portion of hollowcylindrical configuration with a threaded inner wall to permit theconnector to be coupled with an externally threaded mating connector viarotation of the coupling nut; and a friction member disposed in saidcavity between said first end portion of said connector body and saidfirst end portion of said coupling nut, said friction member having acoefficient of friction effective to reduce the possibility of saidcoupling nut rotating in a loosening direction due to vibration whensaid electrical connector is coupled with an externally threaded matingconnector while permitting said coupling nut to be turned by hand,wherein the connector is configured such that, prior to the connectorbeing coupled with an externally threaded mating connector via rotationof the coupling nut, the coupling nut imparts an inward, radial force onsaid friction member causing compression of said friction member,wherein the friction member, as a result of the radial force on saidfriction member, exerts a prevailing torque creating resistance betweenthe connector body and the coupling nut preventing free-spinning of theof the coupling nut relative to the connector body.
 2. The connector ofclaim 1, further comprising: a ferrule of hollow cylindricalconfiguration having a first end, which is disposed around a second endof said connector body, and a second end configured to receive a cable;a first O-ring disposed between said first end of said ferrule and saidsecond end of said connector body; and a second O-ring, wherein saidferrule is crimpable between said first and second O-rings for causingsaid first and second O-rings to create a seal between a jacket of acable and said connector body.
 3. The connector of claim 1, wherein saidfriction member consists of a resilient O-ring.
 4. The connector ofclaim 2, wherein an annular groove is formed in at least one of an outersurface of said first end portion of said connector body and an innersurface of said first end portion of said coupling nut, and wherein saidO-ring is disposed within said annular groove.
 5. The connector of claim4, wherein the prevailing torque is between about 0.5 and 1.0 inch-lbs.